Quicksilver MX
ultralight aircraft, Quicksilver MX experimental aircraft, Quicksilver MX experimental light sport aircraft (ELSA), Lightsport Aircraft Pilot News
newsmagazine.
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Lightsport
Aircraft Pilot is a directory of aircraft that generally fit
into what are described as ultralight aircraft, advanced ultralight
aircraft,
light sport aircraft, experimental light sport aircraft, experimental
aircraft, amateur built aircraft, ELSA or homebuilt
aircraft in the United States and Canada. These include
weight shift aircraft, more commonly known as trikes,
powered parachutes, and powered para-gliders.
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Quicksilver MX ultralight, experimental
lightsport, amateur built aircraft.
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Original Manufacturer/Eipper
Aircraft
Quicksilver MX no longer in production
www.quicksilveraircraft.com
Quicksilver
is a line of ultralight aircraft that evolved from weight
shift hang gliders including Bob Lovejoy's High Tailer. A
company called "Eipper Formance" (founder, Dick Eipper)
began manufacturing the early Quicksilver ultralights
(Designed by Bob Lovejoy) in the late 1970s when hang
gliding was very popular.
The Quicksilver hang gliders differed from most hang gliders
of that time period in that the Quicksilver had a rigid wing
and a tail with a horizontal stabilizer and a rudder. At
that time, the majority of the hang gliders were simple
Rogallo wing type hang gliders. |
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Empty Weight: |
254 lbs. |
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Gross Weight: |
475 lbs. |
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Wing Span: |
32 ft. |
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Wing Area: |
160 sq.ft |
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Engine:
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377 Rotax |
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Cruise Speed: |
35 .mph |
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Stall Speed: |
25 .mph |
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VNE: |
65 .mph |
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Construction: |
Aluminum tube/dacron/
bolt together construction |
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Building time: |
75 .hrs |
Original
Manufacturer
Eipper Industries. |
Eipper added a seat, wheels, and a small
engine behind the wing of the hang glider, and the
Quicksilver ultralight was born. This aircraft was
controlled by pushing a bar forward and backwards, and side
to side, in the same way that hangliders are controlled.
This shifted the center of gravity of the aircraft and
allowed the pilot to control the plane. Many pilots wanted
an aircraft that was controlled with a stick and rudder,
similar to the way "typical" light airplanes are controlled,
so Eipper added rudder and elevator control surfaces to the
Quicksilver ultralight, giving it two axis' of control.
This aircraft was called the Quicksilver
MX. The high dihedral of the wings caused the plane to bank
when the aircraft was turned with the rudder, but there was
no direct means of controlling the roll axis of the
airplane--the aircraft only rolled in response to the yaw
axis.
Pilots still wanted a true 3-axis control
ultralight, so Eipper added spoilers. The spoilers were
ineffective, only providing a minimal amount of control over
the roll axis. The next generation of MX had true ailerons
which gave the aircraft full roll authority.
The Quicksilver MX evolved over the years.
A two-seat model was added for training purposes, although
the two-seater was not legally an ultralight. Eipper
Formance changed their name to Eipper Aircraft and then
Quicksilver Aircraft, and they are still in business,
although they are not producing aircraft in the quantity
that they were at the height of the ultralight craze in the
mid 1980's.
For a troubleshooting report on the Quicksilver MX Click
Here. |
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Quicksilver MX ultralight -
experimental lightsport aircraft |
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